Australia’s kayak/canoe team of Jessica Fox and Scott Smith got competition off to a flying start this morning but were both knocked out in the third round in the figure-eight canoe sprint at the Singapore Reservoir for the Youth Olympic Games.

Hungarians dominated the morning session with both the men’s and women’s events featuring the Eastern Europeans as the fastest finishers.

Fox was the first Australian on the water this morning in an event new to her placing eighth in qualifying from a field of 24. Fox completed the course in 1 min 46.15 secs, with Ramona Farkasdi from Hungary ranked first in a time of 1.40.64. Farkasdi ended the day breaking 1.40 with a time of 1.39.65.

Normally a slalom competitor who excels in white water, Fox was excellent in her first ever effort at the event. She moved through to face Singapore’s Nan Feng Wang in the second round, where the local girl could not stick with Fox who powered around the figure eight course in 1.46.54. Wang finished 3.60 later.

After his first run, Smith said he would be looking to fine tune his run and shave a couple of seconds from his initial time of 1.33.74.

“My start was ok, but I was aiming to go about 1.32 which I missed but I think I can shave a couple of seconds from that,” Smith said.

“On the first turn I hit the buoy and then the second I was way too wide so we will see how things go this afternoon.”

Hungarian Sandor Todke blitzed the field in time trials coming through the figure eight course in a time of 1.29.39 – the only athlete to break 1.30.00.

Smith’s second round victory over Singaporean Brandon Wei Cheng Ooi was a much more dramatic affair, with the Wollongong teenager initially being announced as the runner up on the stadium’s scoreboards.

In a technical malfunction, the scoreboard announced Scott finished in a time of 1.32.89 with Ooi just 0.01 faster in 1.32.90.

While there is little debate the race was tight, a photo finish was called and on further inspection it was found Smith actually took the race by 0.26 in 1.32.66.

“I could see him and I thought I had him,” Smith said.

“Then at the end the announcer called his name out and I was like ‘what?’”.

Smith’s good run was ended by Spanish paddler Inigo Garcia, who powered through the course in 1.32.70. Smith finished in 1.34.31.

Fox’s time of 1.46.60 was eventually beaten in the third round by Belarusian Allakaandra Hryshyna from in 1.45.27.

The fourth and fifth sets continue tomorrow morning as well as the medal events.

Elliot Woods

AOC